Disk drives are widely used in computers, consumer electronics and data processing systems for storing information in digital form. The disk drive typically includes one or more storage disks and one or more head suspension assemblies. Each head suspension assembly includes a suspension and a slider assembly that transfers information to and from the storage disk. In many disk drives, in order to decrease the likelihood of unwanted contact between the slider assembly and the storage disk, the slider assembly is positioned off the storage disk when the drive is not powered up or when data transmission is not occurring. For example, the slider assembly can be moved onto a ramp positioned inward from an inner diameter or beyond an outer diameter of the storage disk, also referred to as “ramp load technology”. Once the disk drive receives a command necessitating the transmission of data, an actuator repositions the slider assembly directly over a data storage area of the storage disk.
Because today's disk drives demand a greater and greater amount of data storage, utilizing as much of the disk surface of the storage disk for storing data has become of great importance. However, this desire to use more of the disk surface for data storage must be balanced with concerns of data loss and damage to the storage disk during repositioning of the slider assembly from the ramp to directly over the storage disk. Data loss can occur by damaging the storage disk with edges or corners of the slider during this type of repositioning of the slider, which can result in scratches or dings. Other types of disk contact can result in frictional heating, causing erasure of data, known as soft errors.
As a consequence, in conventional disk drives, an annular section of the disk surface near the inner and/or outer diameter is devoid of data tracks used for storing data. For example, in small form factor drives, as much as ten percent or more of the storage disk can be set aside for this purpose. Thus, despite the desire to increase data storage, a significant surface area of the disk surface is intentionally left vacant based on the higher degree of risk that any data in this area will potentially be lost.